Airbus expects total traffic to rise in 2010 -exec

HONG KONG, Sept 8 (Reuters) - European plane maker Airbus (EAD.PA) believes total traffic volume has seen "the trough of the recession", a company executive said on Tuesday.

Laurent Rouaud, senior vice president of market and product strategy for Airbus, said at a panel discussion at the Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress that Airbus expected total traffic volume to fall in 2009 and then increase next year.

"In 2009 we believe total traffic is down 2 percent. In 2010 we may experience a 4.6 percent growth rate."

Airbus and Boeing (BA.N) are headed for their worst annual order tally in at least 15 years as struggling airlines cancel or defer almost as many planes as they are buying. (Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee, Editing by Don Durfee and Jonathan Hopfner)